Heard It Here First

Cody “KODIAK” Yaple is an up-and-comer with something to say and today’s new Portal EP off of his home label Wtf’s That Sound makes that statement. A steady stream of single releases, both self-released and through labels like Syndicate Bass Records, has led up to this inaugural EP from the young producer. He has also recently put out collaborations with other rising stars like JOKI and BASSFACE. An EP is a huge next step for KODIAK and we’re thrilled to share it with you.

“Wormhole” is the first track in the collection and sets the energy perfectly. Fun arpeggios, hip hop drums, and atmospheric elements bring us into the track and once the chorus hits, it’s blast-off. The primary elements are a trippy bass layered with effected plucks for groove. The rhythms and sound design had us MOVIN’. The second chorus is a switch-up, with more glitched-out versions of elements from the first half. It is crystal clear that KODIAK had fun with this one.

“Portal” is the title track and the second of the EP. A catchy synth hook and big hip-hop drums again reel us in and the buildup is immaculate. When the chorus hits, the focus is on more of a wub-fueled bass, with some great harmonic flavor built into the sound. Glitched-out background effects and fills provide the perfect amount of variation to keep the flow moving. The second half of the chorus sees a change in sound and melody but the drums keep us moving the whole time. The breakdown and midsection is reminiscent of the intro. The second chorus then explores some sonic variation in the bass sounds, with trippy, left-field stylings at the foundation of this track’s sound design philosophy.

“The Calm” is the closing track of the Portal EP. With an almost lo-fi feel to the melodic elements in the intro, this track quickly moves into a big, wonky chorus. Fat bass wobbles, rich textures, and upbeat drums interplay to create an outstanding flow here. The midsection brings back the lo-fi elements with some drums to keep that energy up. The second chorus is made up of similar sounds, but with tasteful rhythmic variations from the first half. “The Calm” had us vibing HARD.

The sonic signature of this collection is very coherent, with spacey and often playful intros, wonky drops, and intergalactic vibes. Here’s what KODIAK had to say about the Portal EP:

“Well, I’ve always wanted to do an EP but just never felt it was the right time. I wanted to stay on the path of solo releases to continue to build and hone in my production skills. It wasn’t until recently that I wrote the track ‘Portal’ and soon after that ‘Wormhole’ and I had noticed that they had a very distinctive sound together that I could very well see in my head working well on an EP together. The final song on the EP ‘The Calm’ is sort of an oddball. I figured having it as a closing track on the EP would help to give it the EP a nice change of pace and flavor as well as give that song a home. For the art, I reached out to my good friend Erick Landines, as I knew he had a vision in mind long before I even asked him to draw something up.” – KODIAK

What did you think of the Portal EP from KODIAK? Let us know down below in the comments or on our social media!

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